Redeemer, gather these lambs in thy arms and carry them in thy bosom.  O, seal them with the Holy Spirit of promise.  They look forward to that feast of love which thou didst institute in that same night in which thou wast betrayed into the hands of sinners.  If it may please thee, manifest thyself to them as thou dost not unto the world.  Blessed Shepherd, call these lambs by name; may they know thy voice, rejoice to hear it, and follow thee.  In all the preparatory exercises speak to their hearts and commune with them in secret.  O give them some love-tokens, which they may never forget; and make thyself known to them in the breaking of bread.  Exercise their parents with thankfulness and gratitude, and thine aged servant, to whom, in an especial manner, belong ‘shame and confusion of face,’ while she stands amazed at the stately steps of thy free, sovereign mercy and grace to her, and to her children according to the flesh.  Husband of the widow, Father of the fatherless, Shield of the stranger, glorify thy name, magnify thy grace:  all these thou hast been to me; give these parents deep humility, if they have received grace to be more faithful than I; yet thy holy eye has seen much shortcoming in them also.  Glory to thy name for the grace in which they stand, and that thou hast enabled them to train up these children for thee.  Oh, let this be a heart-searching time with us all; humble us, and exalt thy name, and magnify thy grace.

“O Lord, my covenant God, all my desire is before thee; is it not that thou magnify thy grace in me and in my family?  There are others, Lord, and the residue of the Spirit is with thee.  Put forth thy power in the heart of I.G.  S——­, and compel him to come in.  And Oh, my dear I. S——­ and her family; thou biddest me open my mouth wide.  Lord, see, there is much for thee to do.  I praise thy name for what thou hast done, and lay me at thy feet waiting for further manifestations of thy mercy, thy sovereign mercy:  I have no other plea.

“Work with us, for thy name’s sake, and with J. M——­, for whom my worthless prayers have been presented to thee, as also a member of this family.  O Lord, he is now gone out into the world; he is no longer under the control of man; bring him under thy gracious control; call him into thy kingdom of grace, and make him a willing subject in the day of thy power.  Father, glorify thy name.”

“APRIL, Sabbath, 1813.

“’Wherefore, laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envyings, and all evil speaking, as new-born babes desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby.’ 2 Peter, 2:1, 2.

“Blessed Spirit, thou hast convinced me of the indwelling of every one of these, and also of my helplessness of myself to make successful war against them.  But Oh, hast thou not led me to the Captain of salvation for armor, for strength, for wisdom, for power; and is not my dependence for success on thy promise that sin shall not have dominion over me; that thy grace is sufficient for me; that as my day, so shall my strength be?”